US fighters escort Canadian plane home after 'passenger bomb threat'

Two US F-16 fighter jets were scrambled to escort a Panama City-bound flight from Canada back to Toronto after a man on the plane apparently threatened to blow it up, authorities said.

Major Julie Roberge of North American Aerospace Defence Command said the jets flew up to join Sunwing Airlines flight 772 on Friday, local time, as a "precaution" less than an hour after it took off from Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

Video shot by a passenger showed armed Canadian police shouting "heads down, hands up" as they stormed aboard the aircraft in helmets and tactical gear after it landed.

Local media said a 25-year-old Canadian man was arrested on suspicion of threatening the aircraft. Toronto's City News quoted one passenger as saying the suspect became angry after learning the duty-free items he wanted were not for sale.